Earlier in the week I happened to be listening to the radio, and the discussion was about research done in the area of hearing. It seems that there are quite a few people who are "tone deaf," and that at times there is no logical explanation for this.

People have been tested, and they have "tone deafness" in different levels. Some may hear low notes, but cannot hear high notes and, of course, the reverse is true as well.

The difference between the notes produced and heard is sometimes so small, that the researchers were somewhat puzzles.

Without wanting to demean God, let me say that I believe God is, indeed, "tone deaf." Let me explain my reasoning on this thought.

Most of us enjoy listening to music. A number of enjoy performing publicly, be it through instruments or just vocal. And as a congregation, we enjoy singing together. But at times, we need to re-think our thought on that subject.

We work on improving our singing, and sometimes may get a bit "upset" when sitting next to someone who is not able to "carry a tune." When there is a song leader who is not the best, we may be critical of such as well.

One "solution" used in a number of congregations is the use of "praise teams" (multiple song leaders, one for each of the parts). Some of the reasoning" "This will surely improve the quality of our singing."

The congregation in Den Haag (Netherlands) had very few people with musical talents. One of the men was especially lacking, but truly enjoyed leading singing. Some of the members kept asking: "Why do you put him on the schedule? People hear him, and they never want to come back. Why not put our best singers in front of the congregation?

The answer is simple: God is "tone deaf." God does not hear the imperfections in our singing. God does not hear when notes are missed, either totally or in small percentages.

But, God does hear other things! Does our singing come from our heart, or are we just mouthing words? Do we mean what we sing, or are we too intent on producing the right sounds at the right time?

The purpose of our singing is two-fold: To teach one another, and to glorify God. Just as all speakers are not equally good, singers are not equally good as far as their "quality" is concerned. but as we need to "discard" certain ideas about those speaking to us, we need to discard certain ideas about those singing with us!

Many people re looking for ways to "improve our worship, so others may come and worship with us. The sad part? Often only the "physical" aspects are discussed.

Have you ever heard a deaf congregation sing through the use of sign language? It is amazing! Look at the expression on their faces, and see the joy they express – and not a sound is heard! Compare that with a congregation which might be "sound perfect," but whose faces show only boredom!

If our worship in song is to become more meaningful, maybe the notes are not the best place to start. The best place to start might be our hearts!

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